Hey,

my name is Marney Steadman and I am a second year Environmental Science student majoring in Conservation Biology at the University of Alberta. I am your typical nineteen year old girl who loves the outdoors. In the summer time I live on my many bicycles. I am a huge fan of road riding and for the last couple of years I have been perusing Kijiji and other such websites for broken down (free) vintage bicycles to fix up and call my own.  Like Lindsey I have spent many winter days in a packed car heading up to the Rockies, chasing the snow. When I am not spending my days in the outdoors you can find me sitting at a table with a canvas in front of me and paint brush in my hand.

This is Fernie Mountain Resort. My favorite skill hill.

http://powdercanada.com/2011/08/fernie-to-offer-biggest-vertical-in-the-canadian-rockies/

I have had the pleasure of getting to travel to a few unique places, Japan being one, Mozambique and South Africa being the other two. Through these travels you really get to see the importance of communication in a different light. When you are away in a place where communication may not come easily you begin to realize how vital it is for navigating through the "unknown", what ever that might be.

Until this point my main communication with friends and family has been through social media sites such as Facebook and Skype. Up to now I do not feel I have grasped the necessity for the proper forms and need of appropriate lines of communication, but through this course I am hoping to learn all of this. In my future career I know that appropriate communication will play a significant role, whether it be conversing with co-workers, collaborating with a community, or talking through ideas with clients. Skilled communication is an essential part of having a successful career. In any field of work social media holds a sometimes unexplored means of communication. My use of social media can facilitate international collaboration, sharing, and connections. I feel that knowing and learning about the multidimensional online environment will greatly benefit me when it comes to being successful in a future career. 

Until next time,

Marney